Bookcase



gang. 16,1927.

` I L. W. SEWARD BooKcsE Filed Feb. 27, 1926 parts illustrated Patented Aeg. 16, 1927.

UNITEDY STATES Y 1,639,387 PATENT OFFICE..

LESLIE WOOD SEWARD, 0F ATLANTIC CITY, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO RECORD BOOK CABINET COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY. i

BOOKCASE. t

Application led February 27, 1926. Serial No. 91,081.

vMy invention relates to book-shelving, or cabinets, designed more especially for public record-books. It has for its objects a cabinet provided with a number of superposed slidable shelves of a construction adapted to combine maximum strength and comparative lightness, 'the individual shelves being formed and associated with devices to `reduce friction to the minimum and in which the shelves will be limited in their extent of withdrawal to prevent complete accidental withdrawal, and in .which also the handles to the shelves will serve as stops to prevent books resting on the shelves from slipping forward from off the shelves, and also prevent replacing the books in the casing except by layingthe book on.l the shelf' and then sliding the shelf into the` cabinet and thus avoiding abrasion and wear on the book binding; and also in which the shelves will be formed so as tormake it possible to grasp the books with the hands so as to more easily lift the books from the shelves when desired to remove the books.

Y To the accomplishment of each of the several objects mentioned, and other objects hereinafter made to appear, the invention consists in the various features hereinafter particularly described and then sought to be clearly defined by the appended claims, the preferred details of construction for embodiment of the invent-ion being illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing, Figure l is a front elevation of a portion of a cabinet showing three superposed shelves but of which there may be any desirednumber, depending on ,the height of the cabinet;

F igure 9. is a vertical transverse section through Figure 1; t

Figure 3 is a horizontal section, on yan enlarged scale, with parts broken away Figure 4 is a side view of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a detail cross-section through Figure 6 is a perspective of one of the slidable shelves. removed from the cabinet and showing' in dotted lines a book resting thereon.

In the drawing the numeral 1 designates side walls of the cabinet, which preferably rare formed of suitable metal. At the front, open side of the cabinet, atopposite sides thereof, are upright standards 2, preferably tubular in formation, and having side walls connected thereto by` brazing, or otherwise, and which at their lower ends may rest upon the base 3 preferably formed of channeled metal and suitably attached to opposite side walls of the cabinet, for instance, by angle plates et. Mounted to slide in the cabinet, on roller bearings, are shelves 5 three being illustrated but of which `there may be any desired number. These shelves are preferably metal and each formed at its front with a downwardly, vrearwardly and upwardly bent flange 6 to give strength to the shelf and afford a base for attachment of operating handles 7.' i

AEach shelf is supported to slide on ball- .bearing rollers 8 which are carried by platerails 9 extending inwardly from opposite side walls of the-cabinet and suitably attached thereto, the inner ends-of plates 9 having a horizontally extending flangel() which is practically the length ofthe cabinet from front to rear and serves as al guide for a roller 11 connected withthe shelf so as to steady the shelf in its forward and backward movements. Twovof the rol-1ers 1l are employed and each journaled in a Z-shaped bracket 12 preferablj7 supportedA from the bottom of the shelf and attached thereto, preferably near its rear, by brazing, or otherwise, and the lower horizontal member or ange 13 of the brackets will preferably overlap the adjacent portion of plate-rail 9 so as to guard against tilting of the shelf in its sliding movements. The shelfrests upon and travels over` the rollers 8, and its rollers 11 travel along the flange of platerail 9 so that the shelf has ball-bearing rollers to steady it and check vertical vibrations in being moved in and out, and tilting` will be prevented by contact of the braf-ket I flange 13 with the bottom of plate-rail 9. The rear portion ofeach shelf is provided with a book-stop 14, which may be in the form of a channel plate attached by brazing, or otherwise, to the shelf; and at opposite sides, at or adjacent -to the rear the shelf is provided with laterally projecting lugs 15 riveted orotherwise attached to or made integral `with flanges 16 depending below Y the bottom of the shelf so as to contact with V stop-pins or lugs 17 positioned ,atl the sides of the cabinet at or adjacent to the open front of the cabinet for the purpose of limiting the withdrawal of the shelf and thus prevent its accidental complete withdrawal from the cabinet. For the purpose of facilitating the easy lifting and removal of comparatively heavy recordA books from the shelves, each shelf is formed with recesses 1S in its opposite edges so that the lingers may pass beneath the book when the book 1s to be grasped by he hands for removal from the shelf.

The handles or plane of the shelf so a stop to prevent a book sliding or being pulled from off the shelf and to maintain the book in position on the shelf in backward and forward movement of the shelf, thus absolutely .preventing abrasion and wear on the book binding. rlhe upper portion of the handle is bent or curved outward as shown so as to afford Ian easy grip for the hand in sliding the shelf out or in, and also preventing vthe books from being shoved into place and insuring them being placed on the shelves in their replacement into `the case.

l have illustrated and described with particularity the details of the various parts constituting` an embodiment'of the -invention but the various features may be changed in details without departing from essential features although the details as illustrated are preferred.

A book-shelving, formed as described is especially well adapted for offices whererecords are kept for 'frequent reference, and where as a rule lthe record books are relatively large and heavy, and therefore, it is desirable to have lthe r-ecord books removable from the shelving or case, and replaceable with the minimum abrasion or wear on the book covers or bindings. The structure also makes it possible to build the shelving entirely of metal or practically so, and to have it substantial in strength as well as durable in longevity, and with the shelving` easily slidable with steadiness and minimum of vibration in use.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits what I claim is l. A book-case comprising stationary plate rails extending inwardly lfrom the sides of the case and formed with upwardly and lateral inwardly-extending portions at their inner ends, rollers journaled on the upWardly-extending portions of said rails, a shelf resting and slidable on vsaid rollers,

7 project above the surface as also to serve as on the shelf from 's and brackets mounted on the under-face of said shelf, said brackets carrying rollers bearing against the laterally-extending portion of the rail carrying the shelf-supporting rollers.

horizontal plane or cabinet of `shelves,.

2. A book-case comprising a plurality of spaced slidable-shelves forming compartments therebetween, means for supporting each shelf, and va 'handle attached to the front of each shelf and "extended above its to serve as a guard for the book to be supported upon the shelf and having its :upper :portion bent outwardly.

3. A book-case comprising a plurality of spaced -slidabl'eshelves 4forming compartments therebetweemeach :shelf formed with recesses Vat its opposite sides to permit lingers of the hand to pass beneathy .a book resting upon ,the shelf to ,lift `the book, means for `supporting each shelf, and .a handle attached @to VJche ,front of y.each shelf and extended labove its horizontal `-plane to serve as a guard .for thebook :to be supported upon the shelf :and having its upper portion bent outwardly. Y

2l. 4A book-casercomprising -a Vplurality of spaced slidable metal 'shelves .forming compartments therebetween, ,each :shelf ybeing formed at its front :with va reinforcing depending flange, means for supporting each shelf, and -a `handle attached lto the depending Afia-nge atthe ,front of each shelf and extending ,above .the :horizontal l@plane of the lshelf to serveasa guard for the book to be supported upon Athe shelf,l y

In a record-book cabinet, slidable metallic shelves, members extending in Wardly from the :sidesof the cabinet, irollers supported in Ifixed positions at the inner ends of ,the inwardly extending `members and having rolling .contact with the under faces of `the shelves, brackets depending from ythe under face of :the shelves and extending .from the front to the rear -of xthe shelves, rollers carried `by vsaid vbrackets .and having rolling contact with lportions of the inwardly extending side ,members -said brackets and rollers carried by the :inwardly extending Vmembers cooperating to reinforce :the metallic :shelves 6. A book-case comprising a slidable shelf, supports carrying rollers -on which the shelf rests .and is slidable, brackets supporting rollers from the shelf in position to engage a portion of ythe support which carries :the shelf supporting rollers, and a handle attached to .the'front of :the shelf and extended above the horizontal plane of the shelf to serve as a guard at ithe `front of the shelf.

In .testimony whereof I atti-X vmy signature.

LESLE VWOOD SEWARD. 

